Former NFL star, and possibly future convict, Travis Henry thinks his child support is too high and is doing something about it. Why would a man who recently signed a 5-year $22 million contract be complaining about child support you ask? Slip on Travis Henry's shoes for just a moment.You're a wealthy, talented football player in the NFL making millions of dollars. You travel from city to city and you meet women everywhere. Along the way you have one kid, no biggie. Then you have another and another, four, five, six all the way up to nine. Stupid? Sure, beyond belief, but at least you have the money to support them despite your deteriorating skills and age. ...
The trouble is, when you refuse to show up for training camp, claim a pulled hamstring, and never show despite a two-week ultimatum, a team (the Broncos) will undoubtedly cut their losses. Did I mention Henry flunked a drug test for the third time in less than a year?
Even if he tried to make another team (which probably won't ever happen) he would still be suspended for a year by the NFL for his failed drug tests.
And on top of all of this, he was caught trying to buy a large amount of cocaine as the center of Denver-based drug ring. He was released on $400,000 bond and If convicted, he would face a minimum of 10 years in jail.
And according to the the Atlanta Journal Constitution:
"He's got child support obligations across the country, and he's got zero income," attorney Randall M. Kessler told Judge Clarence Seeliger. Henry also has other expenses. He was arrested last month in an alleged cocaine deal, and was released after posting a $400,000 bond.
Seeliger set the child support payments last year, when Henry was working as a running back. The judge also ordered Henry to establish a $250,000 trust fund by last spring. The judge's order noted that Henry had squandered money, spending $100,000 for a car and $146,000 for jewelry, and said the fund was required as backup should Henry fail to make payments
To even say "let this be a lesson ..." would be redundant, so I won't, because the truth is no one should even get close to this level of ignorance. Clearly, at some point, he just stopped caring.
And you know what? I don't feel sorry for him.
As a man, when you make the decision to impregnate nine different women, then you are obligated to handle those consequences and responsibilities whatever they may be. That's nine children possibly growing up without a father because of his irresponsibility. If he can't pay, they should liquidate his assets and try to reestablish the trust fund like he was supposed to do.
Perhaps the greatest outcome from all of this will be the fact that Henry may think twice before he pops out number 10. And if going broke isn't Henry's chosen prophylactic, prison certainly will be.
Comments: (16)
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By: C. Marie on 11/20/2008 6:18PM
Disgraceful. At some point one must think "maybe I should wear a condom", not to judge but this is just disgraceful and I feel sorry for the children who are the real victims here. I hope the mothers all stand together to push for him to take equal responsibilty.I wonder if he has a relationship with any of the children. There are many men who have many children just as he does he is in the public eye, however no matter who you are rich or poor men should have to be responsible for their children, period. We dont need to pity him we need to pray for him.
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By: John Carmichael on 11/20/2008 6:41PM
I think that as we progress in our careers we also should progress in our thinking patterns. Having nine children by diffrent women not only undermines the structure of a family but also hightens the sterotype of the black male as far as being the monogomous role model. No matter how much money you make fathering nine children by nine diffrent women is foolish. My prayer is that the brother learns from this whole charade.
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By: Maisha on 11/20/2008 10:06PM
At some point you should take responsibility for your actions. Instead of doing what should have been doing when you had deal for millions of dollars, you waste it. Now you want someone to cry for you because you've wasted all of your fortune. I feel sorry for the 9 children that have to grow up without their father in their lives. And for the 9 mothers who have to work 2 times are hard to support these children. If these kids amount to anything in life, its no thanks to Mr. Henry.
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By: Ellie on 11/20/2008 10:30PM
Prison might be the best place for him; it would protect him from his own stupidity. Unlike OJ (maybe they can be roomies), he'll get his prison time out of his system early and maybe he won't have to be an elderly inmate. Maybe he can get a vasectomy and some sense while he is in the big house.
I feel bad for the children; children always get hurt in these messes. Their mothers were indiscriminate about their sexual activity with a man who didn't care who he poked. Truthfully,they were never going to see any of their support money anyway because he was spending it faster than he could make it. I guess the mothers will have to go to work and maybe think twice before dropping their pants again; gold-digging doesn't always pan out.
I have no sympathy for Henry or the mothers, they deserve whatever they get, but my heart goes out to those poor children.
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By: Kimbrick Baker on 11/21/2008 1:57AM
Personally, I think Mr.Henry made some very bed judgements but he can always gather himself mentally and began to take full responsibility of those nine children. People make bad decisions but everybidy is subject to change and hopefully if he's forced to do prison time he can use that time wisely to find himself as a person and become a better individual for his kids. (That's all that matters) I pray he keeps his head up and trouble don't last forever.
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By: tina on 11/21/2008 4:15AM
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By: walter on 11/21/2008 7:28AM
I think that the courts are a bit too generous in child support payments anyway. Yeah he should have had protection, but what about the gold diggers out there that preys on these cats? A 250,000 trust fund? The courts need to come to reality and really take a look at how much does it really cost to take care of a child. And what is the mother or mothers of these kids are doing? What's their part in providing for the child besides sitting on their behinds benefitting from the child support??
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By: M. Alexander on 11/21/2008 7:54AM
Travis Henry and other athletes (i.e. Shawn Kemp) to name one, should understand that just because they are making millions of dollars and have women throwing themselves at them doesn't mean you bed every woman who tempts you.
Having said that, I for one, as a single black man with no kids am sick and tired of seeing our men and women produce kids that either they can't take care of financially or refuse to take care of.
We have got to take responsibility for our bodies and our actions. If you're going to have sex then as a man and as a woman and as adults, you owe it yourself to be responsible.
We are bringing kids into the world who for the most part are being raised in poverty and irresponsibly.
We can't rear kids when we ourselves haven't been raised properly.
Any idiot can make a child but it takes parents to raise, nurture and care for a child that hopefully will grow up to be a productive member of society and not a menace.
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By: M. Alexander on 11/21/2008 8:09AM
Travis Henry and others should stop making kids that they do not want to care for. Here's a guy who has made millions of dollars and yet he can't find it in his heart to provide for the 9 kids he has fathered.
I as a black man am outraged at all the illegitimate children we as black people keep bringing in the world. If you don't want to care for your kids, either stop having sex or use protection.
Black men and women need to stop making children we are unprepared to care for financially.
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By: Greg on 11/21/2008 8:29AM
If there's a higher level of stupidity, I know of no one that's attained it. No pity here.
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